Ever Just the Same
by E.G. Potter
Summary: Fifty unrelated snippets from the relationship of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Written for the OTP Boot Camp on HPFC; drabble collection.
1. Fascinated

1. Fascinated

He couldn't help but watch her as she studied. Somewhere in the back of his mind he recalled her saying something about it annoying her when Viktor had watched her study, but he dismissed quickly, trying to do his best at pretending he wasn't watching. She would move to grab another sheaf of parchment and he would readjust, stretching his neck or taking of his glasses and rubbing his eyes. Every so often, she would look up and smile at him. The smile warmed his heart and made him smile back. If only he had the nerve to tell her just how fascinated he was by her.

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Word Count: 107

A/N: I love boot camps.


	2. Rotten

2. Rotten

"Hermione?" Harry called from the kitchen of her apartment. She was in her room finishing getting ready.

"Yes?" She yelled back, trying to decide between black or red flats.

"Did you have your heart set on going to Bonds tonight?" He asked, worry seeping into his tone. Today marked their first year together as an official couple, so Harry had been planning on taking her out somewhere nice. Or so she had thought.

"Well." She paused, taking a deep breath. "I _had _hoped to…" She hesitated again. "Why?"

"What if I told you that I forgot to make our reservations?" Harry asked, his voice fading and growing louder in waves, as though he was walking around.

"Harry…" Hermione trailed off, sincerely hoping that she hadn't gotten all dressed up for nothing.

The door to her bedroom clicked open just as she slid on her sleek black flats, revealing her boyfriend in the doorway. "Yes, Hermi…" His voice stopped abruptly as he looked at her. Her dress was a deep red and had one sleeve on the left which stopped just after her elbow. It clung to her body, accentuating her curves and flaring out at the waist into a full skirt that ended at her knee. She wore light make-up, and her hair was pulled back into a loose chignon, small curls framing her face.

"Da… Um… I…" Harry verbalized, unable to articulate a proper sentence. He cleared his throat to try again. "Wow."

She glared at him. "I sincerely hope I didn't get all fancied up to go to the Leaky Cauldron, Harry."

"What? Oh, yeah, um, about that," he smiled at her sheepishly. "I was only joking."

"Harry James Potter!" She yelled at him, slapping his shoulder. "You rotten boy. Why would you give me such a heart attack?"

"Because I love you," he told her, trying to smile his way out of trouble.

"You certainly have a funny way of showing it," she deadpanned.

He kissed her, almost smearing her red lipstick. It would have continued on into something more heated if both of their stomachs hadn't growled simultaneously.

* * *

Words: 352

Prompt: Rotten

A/N: It's 1 AM, I have a headache, and I'm babysitting tomorrow night. I hope you enjoyed this one! :) Reviews are _always _welcome!


	3. Into the Fire

3. Into the Fire

"Harry?" Her voice was laced with worry, but he knew her well enough to know that she was trying to hide if from him.

"Yes, love?" He said, walking into their new bedroom where she was unpacking boxes.

She held up a Muggle picture of Harry and Ginny from their brief relationship when they were at Hogwarts. "Why's this still here?"

"Oh," he said, walking over and kissing his wife on her temple. "I guess it just must have missed the cleaning out phase."

She continued to gaze at it. In the picture, Ginny was leaned over, kissing Harry on the cheek, while he just sat there with a huge smile on his face. "Oh."

"Give it here," he smiled at her.

Hermione handed him the picture, brown eyes meeting green. She smiled weakly at him, all of the worry that he had never gotten over Ginny showing plainly. Harry dropped the picture into the fire, and then grabbed Hermione around the waist.

"Don't you worry so much," he told her, kissing her gently.

"Old habits die hard," she said, kissing him back.

In the grate, the picture's edges curled as several months' worth of bad memories for the both of them were pushed to the side for yet another night.

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Word Count: 211.

A/N: Trying to get these out every couple of days. We'll see how it works. If you're enjoying these though, go check out some of my other stories! You won't be disappointed.

Random review topic: What's your favorite kind of candy?


	4. Breathless

4. Breathless 

The cold air stung her lungs, ripping at them like frozen knives down her back. Rubbing her arms, she wished for warmth, or at least her wand to cast a warming charm. But it, as well as her keys, was locked in her house. The only thing she had on her person was a Muggle cell phone that her mother had goaded her into getting. Now, she was standing in front of her house, which was in a Muggle neighborhood, waiting on Harry to come and let her into her house.

After what felt like forever, headlights graced her driveway, and a tall man with messy hair stepped out of the car. She was glad to see him. He gave her a reassuring smile. "You know, it's not unnatural to lock yourself out of your house, Hermione."

She glared at him, "But I forgot my keys and my wand. That just isn't like me!"

He just laughed, looking at her. "You're cute when you're cold," he quipped.

She blushed, knowing her face was probably tinged red from the cold. "Are you going to let me in or not?"

He pulled out his wand and waved the door open, holding it for her to walk in. "After you."

Once they were inside, she said, "It's good to see you. Don't be gone so long next time you have a conference, Mr. Auror."

He smiled at her, pocketed his wand, and pushed her up against the wall, kissing her roughly, leaving her more breathless than the cold had.

"I've missed you, Mrs. Potter."

* * *

Words: 261

A/N: I loved writing this one. Ah. :) Reviews are better than cookies!


	5. Drawn

5. Drawn

She watches him as he moves from person to person, charismatic as ever. He doesn't know how gifted he truly is. She's drawn to him, like a moth to a light. His laughter catches her attention, a joyous sound that she loves. Why has she never noticed how captivated she is by him?

A red-headed girl in a cream colored dress comes and hugs him. He kisses her check. Hermione sighs and looks away, unable to observe the couple before her. This is their party though, a gathering of their friends and family to celebrate their engagement. Another sigh escapes from her lips. She fiddles with the cold ring on her own left hand, remembering the reluctance with which she had accepted it. In a split second, she makes a decision which will change her life forever: she wants the man she's drawn to; she wants Harry Potter.

Her fiancé's voice breaks through her thoughts: "You okay, Hermione? You look ready to kill."

A deep breath; then, "Ronald, we need to talk."


	6. Thunder

06. Thunder

In the morning, some would say that it was unresolved sexual tension that resulted in Harry Potter and Hermione Granger cuddled up on the couch of the Gryffindor Common Room, both sound asleep. Others would blame it on Ron Weasley not paying the girl enough attention, while still others would just say that it was because they were best friends.

If only everyone knew that it had been thunder.

_Gryffindor Common Room, twelfth October, 1:04 AM _

The storm rolled outside, rain desperately pounding on the windows as though it too wanted away from the elements. Hermione, with Crookshanks resting on her stomach, sighed as she turned the page of her Transfiguration book. The thunder had woken her up. Since the storm was still raging, she had found it difficult to go back to sleep and had decided on getting ahead in her classwork.

Soft footfalls sounded from the staircase. "Hermione?"

The sound of Harry's voice barely startled her. "Harry?"

"What are you doing u-u-up?" Harry yawned, crossing the room to where she sat. He sat down beside her, clad in a white under shirt and blue pajama pants.

She smiled gently at him. "The storm woke me up, and I couldn't fall back asleep."

"So you decide to read Transfiguration?" Harry asked as Crookshanks made his way over to the other human on the couch. Harry stretched out a hand to rub behind the part-Kneazle's ears.

Hermione shrugged. "It was the first book I found in my bag. I was trying not to disturb anyone else."

"Makes s-s-sense," Harry yawned again.

Hermione laughed as her cat made himself comfortable on her best friend's lap. "Why are you up, then?"

Harry shrugged. "Guess the storm woke me up."

"Liar."

"What?"

"I know that look, Harry Potter. You had a nightmare, didn't you?"

"Maybe."

Hermione sighed, giving him a meaningful look.

"I don't want to talk about it, alright?" Harry resigned.

"Alright, we don't have to," Hermione said, closing her book.

Harry looked at her curiously. "Where are you going?"

She stared at the cover of her book. "Back to bed, I suppose."

"Will you be able to sleep?" Harry inquired, fixing her with a look.

She sighed. He knew how much she hated storms. "No."

"Come here," he smiled at her.

"What?"

"I said, come here," Harry clarified, reclining from his sitting position. "You're taking up good foot room."

Hermione sat her book down indignantly. "And where am I supposed to go?"

"Right here," he indicated his chest.

"Harry, are you suggesting that we snuggle?"

He gave her a crooked grin, melting her heart, "Maybe."

"People will talk!"

He laughed. "Since when do you care?"

She glared at him.

He smiled at her.

"Don't you even try that, Potter," she accused.

"Try what, _Granger_?"

She crossed her arms. "You know full well what."

"I obviously do not know since I'm asking."

"At any rate, I'm not telling you. It's too early to be having this conversation." She turned to leave.

"Hermione!" His voice was unexpectedly soft.

She turned. "Yes?"

"Stay with me? Please?" His voice was soft, pleading.

She walked back over to the couch, sitting just on the edge of the cushion. "Why?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Lightning flashed outside the window.

"I think," Harry said, "that if you stay with me, then maybe I won't have a nightmare."

She gave him a small smile. "It's worth a shot."

The book was placed on the table beside the couch; the half-Kneasle lay on the hearthrug, directly in front of the now- smoldering fire. The witch lay carefully on the wizard's chest, her face resting gently against his shoulder; her forehead leaned just against his jaw. He had one arm wrapped around her waist, the other hanging off the side of the couch. Their legs were intertwined underneath the heavy knit blanket.

In the morning, people would talk. But just for the night, they would both sleep soundly through the storm.

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Words: 662

A/N: Now let's everyone remember that these are all unrelated unless otherwise specified. Also, my stomach hurts. /:

Reviews are the medicine that will help!


	7. Sin

07. Sin

It was sin that brought them together. It would be sin that would lead them to later repent. But it was sin that brought them together that faithful December night.

She had been crying, again, ever-upset over the departure of their other companion. She was curled up in the armchair, wiping at her eyes, when Harry walked into the tent. He walked with purpose and there was determination in his eyes.

The sight of him almost startled her. He looked so upset. She sat upright: "Harry, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong, Hermione. You have been moping around here for the last Merlin-knows-how-long, crying over the fact that he left us, and I'm tired of it! That's not the Hermione I know and..." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You know and what, Harry?" She questioned, her voice soft.

He looked torn, as though weighing life and death. "The Hermione that... I know and love."

Silence, then: "Love?"

"Yes, Hermione, love. I love you. Not like a sister, not just as a best friend... I love you in the way the moon loves the stars. I always want to be around you and it's killing me to see you so upset over him."

"Harry, I.." She faltered.

"I know. It's a lot to take in. You don't have to respond right now either," he heaved a world-weary sigh. "I'll understand no matter what you say." He turned to go back outside to watch duty.

"Harry, wait!" She stood up from the chair. "I'm not upset just because he left me; I'm upset that he left you. Abandoned you when you needed him the most!" Her voice became stronger. "And... I love you, too."

Harry just stared at her. "You do?"

She looked down and the floor, "Ever since third year."

Quickly, he closed the distance between them, pulling her into his arms. Bright green met with warm brown as he looked into her eyes. Gently titling her face up to his, he used his slight height advantage to capture her lips in his. The intensity of the kiss startled them both, causing Hermione to giggle in a very feminine manner. Harry cast a sidelong glance at the bottom bunk where Hermione usually slept, then back at her, his eyebrows raised. She blushed, nodding in agreement. He sat down, pulling her with him, kissing her fiercely. She returned his kiss just as passionately, straddling his lap and pushing him back onto the bed.

In that moment, neither knew what would happen that night; neither knew where they would go from there. All they knew what that they would never have expected it to happen, but were oh-so-happy that it did.

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Words: 455

A/N: If this seems disjointed, I apologize. I am quite proud of this though. :)

Reviews will get me through this next week and a half until I can go home for Thanksgiving! :D


	8. Playful

08. Playful

She's been bent over her books for hours now. Her right hand is covered in splotchy ink from where she isn't paying attention to the drying ink while she's writing. She sighs, angry and frustrated, and throws down her quill so that she can grab a sheaf of papers, obviously on the hunt for something specific. As she discards the first stack for a second one, he studies her. He can see how stressed she is, just how much tension she's carrying in her shoulders. He reaches over and tugs at a loose piece of her hair that has escaped from her braid.

She looks up and smiles at him, thankful that at least one of them can be playful.

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Words: 120

A/N: Christmas break starts December 14th, it's just getting there that's the problem. Gotta love college.


	9. Want

09. Want

Looking down at their legs, she knows she wants this. She knows that she could sit here with him, forever, and be perfectly happy. A Muggle film plays out on the screen before them, but she barely pays attention. Their arms are pressed together, their legs share the same ottoman. She reaches across him for her coffee cup, and he smiles at her. He makes her feel safe and loved, yet he confuses her at the same time. He is her best friend; he has always been there for her. Nothing can change that. Not even the girl he has been seeing for two months now.

Nothing can change Hermione's mind about the way she feels about Harry. Girlfriend or not, he still spends time with her like they always have. It's wonderful, and beautiful, and perfect. And yet, it's not. She wants to be his more than she has every wanted anything. She snuggles up to him, the way she has always done, trying to be content with her wants not being met.

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Word count: 174

A/N: Gotta love when art imitates life.


	10. Helpless

10. Helpless

"Harry?" Her voice was quiet, a raspy whisper. He barely heard it over the storm rolling outside his window.

"Hmm?" He replied, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Are you awake?" She sounded scared.

"I think so," he yawned, sitting up in bed. He didn't remember waking up, although he assumed the thunder was to blame.

She shifted in the doorway of his bedroom. They were sharing a flat in the heart of London, close to the Ministry. "It's storming."

"Yes, I noticed."

A huge clap of thunder crashed outside Harry's window, shaking the whole building. Lightning followed almost instantly.

"It startled me," Hermione said softly. She stepped just inside of his bedroom. She wore an old tee-shirt that read GRYFFINDOR QUIDDITCH across the chest, which Harry was sure had once been his, and red pajama shorts that didn't really cover much of her thighs. She fidgeted with her pajamas. Her brown curls were pulled back in a loose braid, a few tendrils escaping to frame her thin face. She looked lost, alone… Almost helpless, even.

He motioned for her to join him on his bed. "Come here, 'Mione," he gently commanded his best friend. "Stay with me the rest of the night."

She smiled at him as she padded over to his bed. He scooted to the left to make room for her, turning down the covers. He silently rejoiced in the fact that he had actually worn some form of clothing to bed that night.

"Thank you, Harry." The witch yawned as she rested her head on her pillow. "Some Gryffindor I am, getting scared by a thunderstorm."

"Get some sleep, love." Harry told her, kissing her forehead as he lay down.

"Night, Harry," Hermione whispered, rolling onto her side.

"Good night."

* * *

_I need to get up, but I can't move._ Harry woke up the next morning, feeling very much pinned to the bed. He opened his eyes to see a still-sleeping brunette lying on his chest, his arm around her waist. _When did that happen?_

It was still raining outside, but not as noisily as it had been the previous night. He looked down at his slumbering friend again, remembering the storm. He tried to move into a more comfortable position, but his leg brushed hers – it was basically bare – and he remembered why he needed to get up in the first place. He was loath to move, but even more loath for Hermione to discover his problem, which he had a feeling she had had a hand in causing.

He carefully disentangled himself from her, mentally, but not seriously, cursing his attraction to the woman who made him helpless on a daily basis.

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Words: 446

A/N: Back to college Saturday... Oh, goody. As always, reviews are what keep me going. :)

Random tidbit: My cat thinks I'm her personal pillow.


	11. Nightmare

11. Nightmare

_His wand lay, broken, far out of his reach. It had snapped just moments before as Harry had been dueling Lord Voldemort. Now, Harry was tied against a tree, fighting it with his every movement. He had fallen at some point in the battle and had broken his wrist, and he could taste blood in his mouth, though where it came from he had no clue. He had other concerns. _

"_Let her GO!" Harry screamed, continuing to fight against his restraints. _

_Bellatrix laughed at Voldemort's side. "And you think we're going to listen to you, Potter? What can you do?" She raised her wand again. "I think another Cruciatus is in order." _

_Within seconds, a girl's screams pierced the night. _

"_Stop it!" Harry winced as he felt his wrist pull away from his arm even more. The girl's screams subsided into pained crying as Bellatrix lifted the curse. _

"_Let her go," Harry panted. "And I'm yours, I surrender. Just don't hurt her anymore." _

"_You're in no place to negotiate, Potter," Voldemort laughed condescendingly. He lifted his wand. "Say goodbye to your Mudblood, Harry Potter. Advada Kedavra!" _

_A jet of green light flew through the air, hitting the girl in the small of her back. She went limp, her face still wet with tears. _

"_HERMIONE!" Harry cried. His entire body went numb, flooded with cold fear. "Hermione, no!"_

"_You are a fool, Harry Potter." Voldemort smiled. He raised his wand and pointed it at Harry._

"_Advada Kedavra!"_

* * *

Gasping for breath, Harry Potter bolted into a sitting position, covered in sweat. He could still feel the numbness from his nightmare. It had all been so real.

"Harry?" Hermione's voice cut through the dark, heavily laden with sleep. "Darling, are you alright?"

He looked over to the other side of the bed. Hermione had sat up and was looking at him curiously. Harry grabbed her hand, running his thumb over her wedding band. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bad dream."

"I love you," she said, leaning over to kiss him. "Go back to sleep."

They laid back down and Harry wrapped an arm over Hermione's waist, resting his hand on her slightly protruding tummy. "Love you too," he whispered to her. "Both of you."

And that thought was more than enough to keep the nightmares away for the rest of the night.

* * *

Words: 389

A/N: School continues to suck up all my free time. But I procrastinated all day. So here you go! :)


	12. Kind

12. Kind

Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, was terrified. Well, maybe not _terrified _exactly, but he was more than a little frightened as to how his afternoon was about to play out. Defeating a power-hungry Dark Lord was a cinch compared to asking your girlfriend's father for his permission to marry his only daughter.

He took a deep breath and nervously tried to flatten his hair for the third time since he'd left his apartment. It took him a while to finally gather up all of his courage, but after ten minutes of standing on the Granger's front steps, he raised his hand and knocked on the door. Waiting for someone to answer the door was torture. Sure, he was sure that they liked him well enough, but he couldn't help but think of all the different times that he had been the reason Hermione had been in mortal peril.

Not even two minutes later, the door swung open, revealing a middle-aged woman with curly brown hair and familiar brown eyes; a kind smile grace her face. "Oh, hello Harry!" Mrs. Granger said.

He smiled back at her, and as she invited him inside the house, some of his earlier fears abated. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.

* * *

Words: 214.

(A/N: I should so be asleep. Let me know what you thought! Lots of Harry/Hermione goodness has been happening lately, check out my profile for more! Xo.)


	13. Just Think of All the Trees

13. Just Think of All the Trees

"Hermione? Is that you?" Harry called from the kitchen where he was working on getting dinner made. His wife had been out with her mother all day, shopping for the thing Granger women thrived on the most: books.

"Oh, Harry, of course it's me!" She laughed. She sounded happy, something Harry was definitely pleased about.

He walked out into the living room where Hermione had just sat two heaping bags in a chair. "Did you find everything you were after?"

"And more!" She raved, starting to unpack her bags. Harry tried to keep a running total in his head as she hefted tome after tome out of the bags, but he lost count after book thirty-three. "Some of the ones I got from that second-hand shop in Diagon Alley are really rare, too."

"Er, Hermione?" Harry said, crossing his arms. "Exactly how many books did you buy today?"

She had finished the first bag, and was now mostly through the second. "Um, I'm not entirely sure, actually. But I really made a killing in terms of getting a good deal!"

Harry walked over to kiss his wife on the cheek. She was surrounded by three piles of books that stood as tall as her waist. "I think you're killing more trees than anything, love."

She ignored him. "So what's for dinner?"

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Words: 221.

(A/N: The prompt for this one was 'killing' and I just couldn't stand to name the chapter that. Haha. Anyway, enjoy and please share your thoughts! :) Happy 4th to my fellow Americans!)


	14. Jubilant

14. Jubilant

He hasn't seen her this excited about something since she got O's on all of her NEWT exams. But no sooner has he stepped out of the fireplace than is she calling his name.

"Oh, Harry!" She says, wrapping in him in one of her trademark almost-tackle hugs.

He hugs her back and smiles. "Hermione, love, what on Earth has got you so riled up?"

"Well," she says, "you know how I haven't been feeling well the last couple of days?"

He nods, remembering the previous night of holding her hair back while she clung to the toilet. "Was it food poisoning, like we thought?"

Color rises in her face. "Not… exactly. I went to see Healer Ilosovic today at St. Mugo's, and he said that it wasn't anything to worry about."

"So how is that 'not exactly' food poisoning?" Harry asks, perplexed.

Her smile grows. "Harry, I'm pregnant."

"What – how – Merlin, Hermione!" He yells, picking her up and spinning her around. He loses his balance, and they fall down, laughing, Hermione landing on his chest.

They stay there for hours, talking about their new family, kissing, and imagining their friends' reactions, both of them jubilant.

* * *

Words: 196.

(A/N: Aw, they're precious. :) Thanks for reading, guys! Don't forget to review!)


	15. Enamored

15. Enamored

"Hermione, darling, you know you really shouldn't stare," her mother chided her.

Hermione started, surprised by the sound of her mother's voice. "Oh. I'm sorry," she said, tearing her gaze away from the messy-haired boy chatting with her father at the window. She had finally (finally!) worked up the nerve to bring her boyfriend around to meet her parents.

Joy Granger just smiled at her daughter. "You don't need to apologize, darling. I know what it's like, being young and in love."

Hermione cast a furtive glance back toward the window, and Harry caught her eye. He smiled and winked at her, causing her to blush and her mother to laugh, "You're just enamored with him, aren't you?"

"Maybe just a little bit," Hermione said, grinning into her teacup.

Joy stirred honey into her tea. "Well, he's completely smitten with you, as well."

"Oh, Mum," the younger woman buried her face in her hands, laughing. "How can you tell?"

"It's just the way he looks at you," Joy said plainly. She set her cup back on its saucer, staring off at the two men who were deep in conversation. "It's like you're the only person in the world who matters."

Hermione followed her mother's gaze, only to watch a very animated Harry explaining something to her father. Probably Quidditch. She smiled again, feeling as though the grin never left her face when she was around her boyfriend. Her mum was right, as always. And Hermione prayed that things would never change.

* * *

Words: 251.

A/N: Aw, presh. (I'm one of those people who started using 'presh' ironically, and now it's stuck.) Today was long and resulted in eating eggrolls at midnight, so, there's that. Don't be afraid to let know what you thought about this one! Do you guys like it when I reply to reviews?

Later, darlings. :)


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